Late today it was revealed that the State and Federal Labor Governments have done a deal to abolish the Australian Technical College Northern Tasmania and transfer its purpose built buildings for integration into the Tasmanian Government’s failed Tasmania Tomorrow experiment.
I am terribly disappointed to learn that the massive efforts of so many people of genuine goodwill in our community have been dashed as a result of pure government bloody-mindedness.
Tasmanian Premier David Bartlett and Deputy Prime Minister Julie Gillard should hang their heads in shame at their disgraceful abandonment of one of the best-performing technical education institutions in the state.
The wisdom of the ATC vision and the local implementation are proven – and will always deserve recognition as a great success even in the face of constant opposition. The negativity toward the model from state and federal Labor has always been the biggest challenge because Labor opposes vocational education models which involve parents, industry and flexible employment arrangements.
In particular I express my deep dismay that the Rudd Labor Government has broken its election promise to continue to support the ATCs in some form and have instead handed it over to be executed by David Bartlett’s already discredited Tasmania Tomorrow model of Polytechnic, Skills Institute and Tasmanian Academy. Bartlett Labor have seen the transaction as being an asset grab for buildings which were purpose built for the ATC model of flexible learning together with year 11 and 12 TCE studies.
In Rudd and Bartlett’s new era of ‘cooperation’ this decision represents the victory of mediocrity over what’s good for our young people.
I worked tirelessly to achieve an ATC campus in Launceston because of my belief in raising educational quality and choice. It was a huge effort and worth it.
I have also been working behind the scenes with the University of Tasmania, the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and a number of local independent schools to try to save our ATC. However that all appears to have been in vain.
On news of the impending closure of the ATC earlier this week, I called for genuine and vocal support from all our elected members. Now we understand why they have been so silent.
My thoughts are mostly with the staff and students who, despite hollow assurances, face a most uncertain and disrupted future.
